This invention relates to a lever fitting connector in which the connector is fitted into a mating connector by pivotally moving a lever mounted on the connector.
FIGS. 8 and 9 a related lever fitting connector. This lever fitting connector comprises a male connector 1, a lever 2 pivotally mounted on the male connector 1, and a female connector into which the male connector 1 is fitted.
The male connector 1 includes a plurality of terminal chambers 4 extending therethrough in the vertical direction, and terminals are received respectively in these terminal chambers, and are connected respectively to connection terminals in the female connector 2 when these connection terminals are inserted into the male connector from the lower side. Ribs 6 for preventing disengagement are formed respectively at one end of both side faces 5 of the male connector 1, and project laterally therefrom, the ribs 6 extending in a connector-fitting direction. Bosses 7, serving as rotation shafts, are formed respectively on the both side faces 5 of the male connector 1, and the lever 2 is pivotally supported on these bosses 7. Guide projections 5A are formed on and project laterally respectively from lower portions of the both side faces 5 of the male connector 1, and are disposed adjacent to the ribs 6, respectively. These guide projections 5A serve to hold the lever 2 in its initial condition, and are guided into the female connector 3 in the fitting direction. Blocks 5B for limiting the operating movement of the lever 2 are formed respectively on the lower portions of the both side faces 5 of the male connector 1, and are disposed adjacent to the rear end thereof, and each of the blocks 5B laterally projects an amount generally equal to the thickness of a side wall 8 of the lever 2.
The lever 2 includes the pair of right and left side walls 8, and an operating portion 9 interconnecting upper portions of the right and left side walls 8 at a rear end portion of the lever 2. The right and left side walls 8 have holes, respectively, in which the bosses 7 are fitted, respectively, and therefore the lever 2 can be pivotally moved about the bosses 7. Projected portions 8A are formed respectively at front ends of the side walls 8 remote from the operating portion 9, and these projected portions 8A are slidably received respectively in slots 6A which are formed respectively in the ribs 6 of the male connector 1, and extend in the fitting direction. An engagement projection 10 is formed on and projects laterally from each of the both side walls 8, and is disposed between the projected portion 8A and the boss 7, and these engagement projections 10 serve as a fulcrum for the pivotal movement of the lever.
The female connector 8 includes an upwardly-opened hood portion 12 into which the male connector 1 is fitted. Elongate grooves 13 for respectively receiving the ribs 6 of the male connector 1 are formed in an inner face 12A of the hood portion 12 in adjacent relation to a front end thereof, and extend in the fitting direction (in the vertical direction). Guide grooves 14 for respectively receiving the guide projections 5A, formed respectively on the both side faces 5 of the male connector 1, are formed in the inner face 12A of the hood portion 12, these guide grooves 14 extending in the fitting direction. An engagement groove 15 is continuously provided at an intermediate portion of each guide groove 14, and this engagement groove 15 is engageable with the associated engagement projection 10 of the lever 2 so as to serve as a fulcrum. A projection 16 is formed on and projects from a rear side of a lower portion of the guide groove 14, and when the lever 2 is pivotally moved in a disengagement direction, the engagement projection 10 abuts against this projection 16 so that this projection 16 can serve as a fulcrum for the disengagement operation. The plurality of connection terminals 17 project upwardly from an inner bottom face of the hood portion 12.
In this related lever fitting connector, when the male connector 1 is fitted into the hood portion 12 of the female connector 3 as shown in FIG. 9, the engagement projections 10 of the lever 2 abut respectively against the projections 16 serving as the fulcrum for when the male connector 1 is disengaged. Therefore, the male connector 1 can be inserted into the hood portion 12 of the female connector 3 without a resistance, and then the female terminals contact the male terminals, respectively. However, at this time, the operator is pivotally moving the lever 2. Therefore, there is the possibility that the operator may tend to incorrectly assume that the connectors are property fitted together when, in fact, they are not. Thus, the lever fitting connector is of such a construction that a half-fitted condition of the connector is liable to occur.